Car-covupling



Patenvted Oct. 29, 1889.

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` To all whom it mar/y concern:

UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

wILLIAMM. Burton, or sHELDoN, MIssoURI.

oAR-cduPLINe.

SIECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 413,845, dated October 29, 1889.

Applicafimfiled Apn'i 4, 1889.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. BUNOE, of

i Sheldon, in the countyof Vernon and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Car-Coup- `lers, of which the following is a full, clear,

` and exact description. v

My invention relates to appliances for coupllng and uncoupling the cars of ralwaytrains; and the objects of my invention are to provide a car-coupling which will operate ``automatically; to zcouple the cars together,

i and which may be operated to uncouple the `vide means for adaptingrthe coupling to opsame without necessitating the entrance of the operator between the cars; also, to prol j erate with the ordinary pinV and link when necessary.

` W To the above purposes my invention conzo sists in certain peculiar and novel features of construction and arrangement, as hereinafter described and claimed. i

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate i corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is an endelevation of a freight- I car body with my improved cupling applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of two coupling-heads with the top of the casings removed to expose the internal working parts.

` Fig. 3 is avertical longitudinal section of the same on the line 3 3 ofFig. 2. tached side view of the coupling-bar.

Fig. 4 is a de- In the said drawings, A designates the coupling-heads, which may be either of the precise form shown or of any other shap'e adapted to receive the several working parts of the coupler, hereinafter described.

l W heads of the coupling bar or pin F, hereinaf-- ter described. Upon each side of the coupling-head is pivoted a lever O, the pivot-al points of said levers being shown at c c. The lower-ends of these levers are connected to Serial No. 305,992. (No model.)

rods D, which entend horizontally inward through the sides of the coupling-head, and the inner ends of which are connected to the jaws or rods B, substantially as shown in Fig. 2, so' as not to interfere with the grasping action of the jaws B.

The jaws B are normally held together at `their outer ends by the action of suitable Springs. In the coupler at the left-hand side 'of Fig. 2 spiral or coiled springs E are shown as interposed between the sides of the coupling-heads and the outer sides of the rods orl jaws B, said Springs surrounding the rodsD.

In the coupler at the right side of Fig. 2'

F in Fig. 4 designates the coupling bar or e pin used in connection with the coupling mechanism above described. The body of this pin is of straight elongated form, having an arrow-like head f formed upon each end. The under side of each of these heads f is tapered from the tip backward and down- Ward, as shown at f so that the head of the pin will slide into the draw-head vin spite of the tendency of thepin to drop downward by its own gravity.

When this coupling is used upon passenger-cars, the levers C simply extend upward, so as to be easily operated from the platform, but when applied to a box-car arrangements must be provided for Operating the levers without going between the platforms of the cars. One way of doing this is shown in Fig. 1, in which G designates a chain or cord, which lis of such length as to' connect the upper ends of the levers O when the latter are extended apart, which is their normal position. Midway of the length of this cord or chainis connected the lower end of a rod H,

.whichextends upward to the roof of the car,

at which point it carries a cross-bar h. About midway of its length the rod H is provided IOO with a spring-catch h', which may bear a general resemblance to the catch upon an nmbrella-stick.

Immediately above the chain G and at a short distance from opposite sides of the center of the end of the car are placed pulleys g g, as shown, and the operation is as follows: The operator takes hold of the crossbar h and pulls upward till the catch h' comes into contact with a suitable attachment on or near the top of the car, and thus draws the upper ends of levers C toward each other and releases the pin or bar F, thus uncoupling the cars. Vhen the cars lare to be coupled, the catch h' is released and the levers C are allowed to separate, thus permitting the jaws or rods B to grasp the bar F.

In order that the coupling may operate with the ordinary pin and link, the couplinghead is formed at its outer end With eyes a to receive the ordinary coupling-[in, the jaws B in no way interfering With this action.

It will thus be seen that the coupler operates automatically in coupling the cars, and that it is operated without necessitating any entrance of the operator between the cars. The arrangement as a whole is strong and durable, and, owing to its simplicity, is inexpensive and not easily disordered.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination, With the draw-head having horizontal spring-pressed couplingj aws provided with upwardly-proj eeting operating-levers C C, pnlleys g g on the end of the car, and the chain G, connecting the upper ends of the levers and passing upward between the pulleys, of the vertically-sliding rod H, connected at its lower end to the chain above the pulleys and provided with a laterally-projecting catch 71,, adapted t) engage a project-ion 011 the car and hold the rod in its raised position, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the draw-head having long'itndinally-extending hooked jaws B, pivoted at their inner ends Within the inner end of the head, and operating-levers, of two plate-Springs E' E', secured at e e and bearing against the sides of the jaw, and a U-shaped spring e', embracing the Springs E E, substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM M. BUNCE. lVitnesses:

H. R. MCCUTCHEN, P. XV. PoPE. 

